Happy Poetry Friday! Today I’m sharing a poem from I Lay My Stitches Down: Poems of American Slavery (Eerdmans, 2012), written by Cynthia Grady and illustrated by Michele Wood.
At the NCTE Notables session in Boston, Cynthia and I were two of the author panelists. I was not familiar with her book, and I had even walked by her signing earlier that day in a 4th-day-of-conference haze, not really registering that it was poetry or a fellow Notables recipient. I wish I had bought the book and had it signed. I just had a chance to read it, and it’s beautiful.
In an author’s note at the front, Cynthia explains in part, “The poems are written in unrhymed verse, ten lines of ten syllables, to mimic the square shape of a quilt block. To reflect the three layers of a quilt, I’ve engaged three references in each poem: a biblical or spiritual reference, a musical reference, and a sewing or fiber arts reference in addition to the imagery the poem calls for.”? Cool! I am working on two separate poetry projects right now that connect to Cynthia’s book–one overlaps in topic a bit and the other in an approach to form. So this book is extra fun for me.
SCHOOLHO– USE
Each morning after walking Little Miss
to school, we steal away beneath the oak
to piece together everything we hear.
The teacher catch us making letters in
the dirt with sticks one day. Her eyes go wide
and icy blue. She walk away. We fear’d
our backs would get the rawhide stich. Instead,
she twitch the curtain at the window, teach
her lessons loud and clear– her voice, a prayer
with wings. It give us hope; it sing us home.?
–Cynthia Grady, all rights reserved
Here we are–some of the Committee and author guessts at the Notables session. l to r: Back row: Donalyn Miller, Trish Bandre, Jean Schroeder, Tracy Smiles, Kate Klise, Yoo Kyung Sung; Front row: Laura Purdie Salas, Cynthia Grady, Eliot Schrefer, Shanetia Clark. Not pictured: Barbara Ward
And here’s my audio clip of me reading the poem, with a poem starter idea at the end for teachers.
Tabatha at the Opposite of Indifference?(who is an artist and will probably love Cynthia’s approach to poetry) has the Poetry Friday Roundup–enjoy!
What a wonderful poem. I am going to check this book out! Thanks for telling me about it.
Enjoy, Rosi!
What a wonderful poem. I am going to check this book out! Thanks for telling me about it.
Enjoy, Rosi!
Fine art poetry stitching together lives and history into a beautiful quilt. So happy your found Cynthia.
Thanks, Margaret–what a great description of her project:>)
Fine art poetry stitching together lives and history into a beautiful quilt. So happy your found Cynthia.
Thanks, Margaret–what a great description of her project:>)
Cynthia’s book is absolutely gorgeous from top to bottom.
It’s really lovely!
Cynthia’s book is absolutely gorgeous from top to bottom.
It’s really lovely!
Such a nice reading. Thank you, Laura!
Thanks, Cynthia!
Such a nice reading. Thank you, Laura!
Thanks, Cynthia!
Wow, this is great. Thanks for explaining the intricacy of the construction. If the image you’ve displayed is any indication, it’s also a visually beautiful book. It’s exciting to find out that companies like Eerdmans are publishing this kind of a project.
It IS beautiful–and unique:>)
Wow, this is great. Thanks for explaining the intricacy of the construction. If the image you’ve displayed is any indication, it’s also a visually beautiful book. It’s exciting to find out that companies like Eerdmans are publishing this kind of a project.
It IS beautiful–and unique:>)
Love her unique quilter’s approach, and the content, so hopeful and inspiring: “? her voice, a prayer
with wings.” Thank you for opening my eyes to Cynthia Grady and this book!
Love that bit! This is her first book–I bet there will be more to come:>)
Love her unique quilter’s approach, and the content, so hopeful and inspiring: “? her voice, a prayer
with wings.” Thank you for opening my eyes to Cynthia Grady and this book!
Love that bit! This is her first book–I bet there will be more to come:>)
What a cool form! I love Grady’s layers and shape. She reminded me of a project I did in graduate school — I made a quilt-style painting to represent the journey of understanding we had made in the class. I let my professor keep it, so I can’t really remember the details, but it was fun to make.
Neat! When we synthesize information and make art from it–that’s just the best thing ever…
What a cool form! I love Grady’s layers and shape. She reminded me of a project I did in graduate school — I made a quilt-style painting to represent the journey of understanding we had made in the class. I let my professor keep it, so I can’t really remember the details, but it was fun to make.
Neat! When we synthesize information and make art from it–that’s just the best thing ever…
Wow. That’s a wonderful poem!
Isn’t it? Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow. That’s a wonderful poem!
Isn’t it? Glad you enjoyed it!
Another book I haven’t seen this year. Thanks for sharing it. And thank you, brave girl, for reading it!
I hadn’t seen it either, before NCTE. So glad I met it there:>) And thank you on the reading…I am trying to be braver.
Another book I haven’t seen this year. Thanks for sharing it. And thank you, brave girl, for reading it!
I hadn’t seen it either, before NCTE. So glad I met it there:>) And thank you on the reading…I am trying to be braver.
HOMESCHOOLED
My best friend Josh picks up his book bag then
Scratches behind my ears before taking off.
I hop around like a rabbit on a sugar rush.
?I want to go to school; I want to go to school!?
I bark. ?Take it easy Roscoe. I?ll be back in time
To take you for an afternoon walk.? I know I?m smart
Enough for school. To prove it:
I spend the day counting squirrels outside;
Each one wreaking havoc in our underbrush.
I read various words on Josh?s science test
An A+ blazoned on the right corner.
I use my paw to spell my name against
Our brown, lacquered living room floor.
Seemingly, in the snap of a finger Josh returns,
He rubs the bottom of my chin. ?Hope you
Had a good day Roscoe.? He said. ?Yep, no
Doubt about that, I bet I learned even more
Than you at school today.? I bark. Licking
Away the sweat from his salty cheeks.
Secure that in my doggy world ?
I?m valedictorian.
(c) Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.
HOMESCHOOLED
My best friend Josh picks up his book bag then
Scratches behind my ears before taking off.
I hop around like a rabbit on a sugar rush.
?I want to go to school; I want to go to school!?
I bark. ?Take it easy Roscoe. I?ll be back in time
To take you for an afternoon walk.? I know I?m smart
Enough for school. To prove it:
I spend the day counting squirrels outside;
Each one wreaking havoc in our underbrush.
I read various words on Josh?s science test
An A+ blazoned on the right corner.
I use my paw to spell my name against
Our brown, lacquered living room floor.
Seemingly, in the snap of a finger Josh returns,
He rubs the bottom of my chin. ?Hope you
Had a good day Roscoe.? He said. ?Yep, no
Doubt about that, I bet I learned even more
Than you at school today.? I bark. Licking
Away the sweat from his salty cheeks.
Secure that in my doggy world ?
I?m valedictorian.
(c) Charles Waters 2013 all rights reserved.